


Where to find a silver lining

by taotrooper



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Backstory, Childhood, Families of Choice, Family Fluff, Foreshadowing, Gen, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-13 04:54:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9107503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taotrooper/pseuds/taotrooper
Summary: Secret Santa present forProPinkist. What did young Ik-soo do from the time he was exiled to the moment he met Yoon? How did they end up living in that cozy house by the mountains? A speculative backstory and an attempt to patch up some big mysteries around the lovable priest and other characters.





	

The last time he saw High Priest Hyeon, they were carrying him somewhere. His hands were cuffed with a wooden block and his bare feet stumbled across the capital’s dirty streets. Ik-soo couldn’t see his master’s face, brown bangs obscuring his features. Yet the boy could tell the man was devastated, and tears welled up in his innocent eyes. He would’ve followed him foolishly if his guide hadn’t squeezed his shoulder.

“We should go, boy, or your exile will be for nothing,” he said, his voice ominous.

“W-where are they taking Master Hyeon, big brother…?”

The cloaked man took a while to reply.

“Hopefully they’re exiling him, too. I know it’s hard but we need to leave, far from the bad men.”

Ik-soo dried his eyes and cleared his nose with his sleeve. The man’s gentle hand caressed his light, wavy hair; it softly tried to reassure him, to urge him to escape. The boy’s fingers touched over his pockets to make sure the priest’s treasure was still there before nodding and walking behind his protector. Years later, he would realize that Hyeon was likely about to be executed.

His old life, just like the temple where he had happily lived, had ended in a blaze. Smoke could still be seen from the direction where the holy place had proudly stood.

 

* * *

 

“Take this with you, Ik-soo,” his master said as he knelt to his height and gave him a small leather bag. It was heavier than the boy expected.

“What’s this…?” He loosed the knot and opened the satchel. A rosary made of golden beads was inside, prayers written on each sphere. Ik-soo’s mouth twitched, and he tried to return it.

“Please keep it,” the head priest insisted. “Listen, child. Use this only for emergencies or something really important. If you use them to buy meatbuns or other frivolities, you’ll expose yourself to danger. Wealth can lead to misfortune, so keep it a secret.”

“But Master Hyeon… Do I really have to leave the temple…?” Tears welled up in his eyes.

“That’s what Lord Yu-hon has dictated.”

“But you’re not leaving.”

“As the head of the temple, I will not be exiled. My case goes to trial.”

“What does that mean?”

“Other men will decide my fate.” Hyeon put his hand over Ik-soo’s head. “And you, my dear, can’t follow mine. And that’s another thing I must ask of you: hide your Insight from strangers. If soldiers or noblemen ask you when you cross the castle gates, say you’re just a normal altar boy and you never could hear the gods.”

“But that’s a lie!” Ik-soo complained.

“Then I must ask you to lie this time because your life depends on it. You only got exiled because I said you couldn’t. Who knows what they’d do to you if they knew you would’ve been my successor. So I beg you to lie, even if it’s wrong.”

“So I’m not a priest in training anymore?”

“To those strangers, no. To us… you are a priest even outside the castle.” The man wiped Ik-soo’s tears with his thumb. “You’ll have to learn to discern who you will grace with your gift from now on. You’ll have no temple or shrine, either. Perhaps you’ll never hold any kind of power. But I know you’ll make me proud, child.”

Ik-soo hugged his master as hard as he could, his sight blurry from his sobs. First his father, then his mother, now his predecessor. He didn’t want to be alone. He wished this would never end, his hair being caressed softly.

“M-Master! What should I do now? I have nowhere to go…”

Hyeon let go, his hands put on the youth’s shoulders. He was also on the verge of crying, despite his eyes being dry. There was sadness in his wise stare.

“Would you like me to tell you the Word of God for a last time, my boy?”

 

* * *

 

It hadn’t even been one day of exile when he was almost attacked. It was just your average band of teen delinquents that plagued the streets of Hiryuu Castle Town, who found an easy prey on the little helpless crying boy. They weren’t violent yet, but they towered on him against a wall that smelled like urine and moss, far from guards and other adults. One of the guys was tugging Ik-soo’s blond locks, as a warning.

“Don’t make it harder, runt. Just give us your money and we let you go.”

“B-but… I don’t have…”

“Liar! You’ve gotta have somethin’!”

He had almost decided to give the thieves the golden rosary beads when an unknown voice rose from the other side of the dead end. It was cheerful, despite the lack of joy in the situation.

“There you are, little brother!”

He heard steps on the stony floor. All he could see from the grip was a pair of boots under a traveling cloak.

“Sorry, could you please release my brother? Our father just got out of sword practice and he’s looking for us!”

What was that stranger talking about? Ik-soo had no siblings. But he didn’t dare to correct the cloaked figure.

“We’re not lettin’ him go until he gives us his money.” There was a pause. “Wait. You’re going to give us _your_ money, big bro! Do it and we’ll let ya two go with no harm.”

“Sure,” the other guy said immediately. Ik-soo sobbed harder as he heard metal clinging and changing hands. “We have no coins but this medallion is all we have of value.”

“Alright, you can leave.” The thug let go Ik-soo’s hair and pushed the boy towards his savior.

“Let’s go quickly, okay?” he heard as an arm surrounded his shoulders. “Dad waits for us.”

Too shaken to say that it had been a misunderstanding, that he wasn’t his brother, and that he was sorry about him losing his jewelry, he just let himself be dragged. Minutes later, when they were out of earshot, the man spoke again.

“Are you alright, lad? Did those guys hurt you?”

Ik-soo looked up. The cloaked figure seemed to be a teenager with striking long blond hair as bright as sunshine and large eyes filled with concern. His face was covered in dirt but it was beautiful and kind.

“I-I’m okay but…” Ik-soo gulped. “I’m not your little brother and… and your medallion…”

“Sorry for lying, it was an attempt to see if they’d stop. And don’t worry about it!” The man smiled, and put a hand inside a pocket. They heard the same metallic sound as he rummaged inside. “I got it back when they weren’t looking, so nothing was lost. That’s why we have to get away from them before they notice!”

That did ease the weight on the boy’s mind.

“T-Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it! Let me escort you home, okay? Where do you live?”

Ik-soo felt a tug in his heart, and his eyes started to scorch. He felt too sad to even answer that question.

“Oh. Hey.” The guy crouched and passed dusty fingers under his eyelids. “I understand, it’s okay. Are you staying somewhere, even under a bridge? Do you have anyone who can take care of you?”

It took a couple of minutes for the boy to calm his hiccups. The young man waited patiently, which made him feel slightly guilty.

“N-no… I just,” he hiccuped, “had to leave today… and mom’s in Heaven…”

“I see,” the guy said, with a sad expression. He patted Ik-soo’s head. “I’m so sorry, lad.”

Ik-soo clenched his little fists and took a deep breath. He smiled with optimism.

“But it’s okay! I need to find the golden dragon crest!”

The young man’s eyes opened wide. After blinking, he just pointed upwards with his finger. Ik-soo looked up: several banners with yellow dragons floating in burgundy waved from the castle walls. It was the symbol of the proud Sky Tribe. The kid shook his head.

“No, no! A man holds the dragon! I need to find him. My master told me he could take me to Fuuga.”

“A man that has a dragon banner?” the man grinned. “A lot of soldiers own one.”

“No, not a flag. A gold crest. And that’s the wrong dragon drawing. Flag dragons are like this.” He drew a horizontal wavy line with his finger. “But that is a Holy Dragon, and it looks like this.” He drew a long vertical wave, more shaped like a serpent than a dragon.“

"Aaaah, the old religious symbol of Hiryuu Castle. You mean this, then.” And so the man reached into his pocket, and took out the jewelry the bullies had tried to steal from him. By the end of the bead necklace, he saw an oval medallion that just fitted the description given by the high priest. Ik-soo’s face lit up, as bright as that gold, and he restrained the desire to hug the stranger.

“It’s you?!”

“I’m not sure I’m the person you’re looking for,” he tilted his head. “I just arrived to town a couple of days ago, haven’t talked to a lot of people, and I sure didn’t show this old thing around. How would your master know about me?”

“I’m not allowed… You wouldn’t believe me…”

“Try me. And I’ll keep quiet no matter what you tell me, okay?”

Ik-soo took a deep breath again. His intuition was telling him that he was right to trust in him, of course. He had felt safe since he had met the stranger, and even if he said no the boy knew he wouldn’t rat him out. But plenty of people outside of the temple didn’t believe in the priests.

However, he would trust in him.

“The gods told him so. I would meet the man of the golden holy dragon crest. He would keep me safe and take me to General Mundok. That’s what they said.”

“Yeah… I can see why you weren’t allowed to say that freely.”

The young man put his medallion back into the pocket and looked up to the sky, thoughtful. Ik-soo let him muse in silence, and hoped that the guy wouldn’t call him or his master crazy. Two white doves flew over their heads in the meantime, barely visible from the ground.

“Alright, little brother,” he finally said. “If the gods want me to protect you, then why not? It’s not like I have anything better to do!”

Ik-soo felt so relieved he ran to hug the man. He could hear a cheerful laughter that made his chest vibrate.

“But before we leave the capital, we’ll need to make some money and buy some food,” the man said as he caressed the boy’s head. “By the way, lad, do you have any special talent that might help?”

“I’m really good at praying!” Ik-soo chirped. The stranger chuckled.

“…That’s lovely but people don’t usually pay for that. It’s okay, I’ll just juggle. Can you sing or dance?”

“Sing, then!”

 

* * *

 

They climbed the stone stairs that lead to the city walls by the time the morning dew appeared on fresh leaves. Ik-soo stumbled twice over the steps, in one of which actually falling over. His companion offered his soft hand, and the boy happily took it. They held hands until they arrived to the gates.

“Well, this is it. This is where we say goodbye. The guards can take you to the general, lad.”

Ik-soo’s eyes watered. He let go of the man’s hand and hugged him as hard as he could.

“Stay with me, big brother!”

“What, feeling lonely already?” he teased as he ruffled the wavy fair hair. “You won’t be alone with the general, so don’t worry!”

“But… _you_ will be lonely and alone then… P-please come!”

“Me…?” He opened his blue eyes wide. “Hey, lad. The gods have told you about me, haven’t you? One night I heard you cry in your sleep.”

It was Ik-soo’s turn to gasp. “How did you know I can hear them?!”

“I figured a while ago,” the young man smirked. “Your master, an important priest, wanted you to live so much. That can’t only be because you’re as cute as a baby bunny, right?” He made a pause that mortified Ik-soo much more. “It’s okay, I won’t tell. I could also hear them when I was your age, so I know how hard it is.”

“Not anymore?”

“Nope. I was unable since…” He shook his head. “Has any god told you my identity?”

Ik-soo just buried his face on the guy’s cloak as reply, embarrassed and sad. He hadn’t meant to pry; the vision had just been unfolded to him. It had been bothering him for a few days: such a burden, such a long time alive, and yet this ‘big bro’ could still smile and be kind and hopeful. It was just awe-inspiring.

“Because I know, I think you shouldn’t be left alone,” he muttered. “Can’t I go with you, if you don’t wanna go to Fuuga?”

“I just can’t let you do that, lad. You’re too young for this life and you’ll…” He interrupted himself, and only years later could Ik-soo infer the rest of the sentence. “Besides, the probably last priest of Kouka and a legendary Dragon Warrior… we’d just attract trouble if we stay together.”

Defeated and brokenhearted, Ik-soo let go.

“Can we see each other again when I’m older?”

“That would be nice. I never stay in one place, though… Come on, go through the gates now.”

Ik-soo took two steps before turning around. He stared at the man’s eyes, both old and young.

“Mister Ouryuu… Let me convey the word of the gods before we part. Please! There’s something you need to know!”

Ouryuu snorted, as if it was funny that they had something to tell him at all.

“You’re going to faint, lad!”

“It’s fine, I was told in my dream the other night!”

“…Very well, let’s just hear it.”

“The red star will descend soon,” Ik-soo proclaimed, his hands in prayer, “your wait will end within the next generation. The dragons shall have master and kin once more.”

Ouryuu’s mouth opened ajar, and his eyes shined bright. It was good news to him indeed. Still, the boy wished the man shouldn’t have to remain a lonely wanderer until the day would come. The god had seemed to imply that it wouldn’t be such a good thing, but he could never ruin Ouryuu’s ray of hope.

“Is that really so?” he asked. Ik-soo nodded. The man seemed to believe him, and his expression looked lost in thought. “So soon, huh…? Lad, listen. If Hiryuu ever comes to you for guidance in the future, please remember this. In the foggy mountains in the north, close to the limits with Kai, there’s a village where the descendants of Hakuryuu should still live and protect the new dragons. The other dragon lineages move too much, but that one remains there. If my king ever needs us, go to Hakuryuu first: he should be able to find the rest of us, and I’ll know it’s time if I feel him moving. Got it?”

“F-Foggy mountains, village of Hakuryuu.”

“Good boy! And lad… thank you for the message, and for your cute company. I had fun, fun!”

And with the warmest beam, he ran down the stairs before Ik-soo could stop him.

“…I also had fun, big brother.”

 

* * *

 

Ik-soo had seen the General of the Wind Tribe before, back in the palace. He looked dangerous and intimidating, with his scarred face and unopened eye, with his now graying long beard. Military men had always scared the kid. But unlike Lord Yu-hon and the other tribe leaders, it had been evident that this man was deep down much nicer and had a soft spot for children. Every time he passed by the temple to greet his master, he would slip a candy or two to a shocked Ik-soo.

So he wasn’t too frightened when Son Mundok stormed inside the waiting room where they had pushed him in. He might have jumped on his heels from the sudden vision, but he knew he was as safe with the old man as with that other older man, even though they looked like polar opposites.

“I heard there’s an orphan child that just reached the city. Where?”

“Uh… I’m…” Ik-soo stuttered.

“Oh, there he is!” he smiled, his good eye closing as well. “Sorry, you’re so tiny I almost lost you. Let me take a good look at you.” The man crouched and glanced at him, a frown slowly appearing. “Hold on, I know you. Aren’t you priest Hyeon’s brat?”

Ik-soo nodded.

“Oh… I’m so sorry for your loss, boy.” He moved a hand towards Ik-soo, and his first instinct was cowering. But Mundok only patted his head tenderly. “What was your name again, little priest?”

“Ik-soo.”

“I like it, very traditional. Did Yu-hon exile you?” Ik-soo nodded. “Well, you can count with the protection of Fuuga and the Wind Tribe. You’re of course welcome to stay in my city for as long as you like.”

“T-Thank you, General Son!” Ik-soo weeped.

“Don’t mention it. Your master was a friend of mine, so I’d never kick out his precious apprentice. Much less a cute boy like yourself! I have spare rooms for our war orphans so you can choose one and stay there. Oh, and don’t call me General, it’s weird when civilians do that. Elder Mundok is fine.”

“Oh, okay!”

“But in this tribe we don’t accept freeloaders! You’ll have to do chores, find a trade, receive an education, and join the other children in learning self defense. Your arms look like twigs! You look a bit spacey, too.”

Suddenly his new life looked scarier. It didn’t seem like they’d accept prayers as a trade either. Maybe noticing the sweat in Ik-soo’s temple, Mundok grabbed him by the shoulders.

“We’ll think about that later. Come on, Ik-soo, let’s get you something to eat, and you can tell me how on Earth you managed to travel from Hiryuu Castle Town to our lovely town.”

Ik-soo never reveal his friend’s mythical identity, not during that meal or later in his years growing up in Fuuga, but Mundok never brought it up again anyway.

 

* * *

 

The day he left Fuuga, Mundok came to the gates to send him off. His face looked serious; Ik-soo knew he was used to saying goodbye to the other youth that had left the nest. But there was concern in his old guardian’s eyes, matching the bruises around his own left eye.

“Are you really sure, Ik-soo? I could set a bodyguard on you.”

“No, I don’t want to impose. Some people will still want it no matter what we do. My master was right about gold, so I can’t stay in a big city.”

“You could at least describe your assaulters,” he grumbled, his mustache shaking.

“I’ve already forgiven them,” Ik-soo smiled. “There’s no need to beat them up or punish them when they just wanted a better life.”

“It was a crime anyway!” Mundok shook his head. “You’re way too nice, kid. You’re not going to survive out there out of prayers.”

“I’m sure the gods will guide the way, Elder. Everything will be fine.”

“I hope you’re right. You’re a klutz, an airhead, you never learned how to use the spear well, the apprenticeship you chose was footwear making, and you believe everyone is inherently good. All you’re good at, your gift aside, is reciting sutras and breathing.”

“E-Elder, that sounds cruel,” Ik-soo sobbed.

“I can’t stop you from leaving, son. You’ve long been of age. But you need to promise me that you’ll try to stay out of trouble and try to survive.”

“…Yes, sir.”

Mundok pulled the young man into a to painful bear hug.

“E-Elder, my ribs.”

“And do exercise often, even if you won’t practice the spear anymore. And eat whenever you can…”

“Yes, but please…”

Mundok let go unwillingly.

“If you ever want to settle down and you need a steady house, you can use that old training cottage by the mountains. With minor repairs it should be habitable again. Remember where it is?”

“The one near the waterfall,” Ik-soo nodded as he rubbed his sides. “It was cozy.”

“Well, off you go, child.”

This time it was Ik-soo the one who hugged the old warrior, this time tenderly. When they touched foreheads, there were tears in both pairs of eyes.

“Thank you for everything. And don’t worry about me! I’ll be peachy!”

Of course, he tripped over and fell down the stairs a few seconds afterwards. As he rolled, he could hear Mundok cursing under his breath.

 

* * *

 

He could feel the pangs of hunger, but they hurt much less than Yoon’s angry glare. For an adorable little boy, his lividness was scary.

“What did you do with our rice?”

He answered with an embarrassed whisper.

“I can’t hear you!”

“…This woman’s children are sick so I… gave it to her.”

“All of it?! That was supposed to last us for days!” Yoon took a deep breath. “What am I going to do with you?”

Ik-soo didn’t know what to say to soothe him. To be honest, he had no idea where to get more food. That was a large part of the problem, wasn’t it? He could help that family that day, but it’d only last one moment and all the other families were starving. The whole village was, actually. They had been barely better off than most because of Yoon’s resourcefulness, but even that had a limit. The merchants wouldn’t come back in two weeks and the soil was too barren to give anything.

Not being able to help others was killing Ik-soo inside.

For a moment, Ik-soo and Yoon’s eyes met. The rage in the child’s eyes slowly fell apart, as he saw the sadness inside the priest.

“Listen. We can’t live here anymore.”

“But people are dying…”

“You idiot, we’re going to die too! This place is just as bad as my own village. You have to understand that we can’t help them forever, especially when we’re just as poor.”

“You want to go to another village?”

“It would be the same story. For an adult who knows so much about history and geography, you’re pretty dumb. All villages in this tribe are in this bad state, and I suspect in the rest of Kouka as well. You’ll eventually give away all of our possessions because you’re too nice. And then we’ll both starve with everyone else. We’re just changing the place of our grave.”

Ik-soo then had a terrible revelation, one that sank in the pit of his stomach. He would do anything to keep Yoon alive and well. While he wished the best for every living being, Yoon was in another level of importance. Charity and smiles on people might make him happier, but keeping this wonderful boy safe, even if it meant sacrificing his own welfare, would make him the happiest. A love that was selfish yet selfless. Yes, he would accept to live far from where he thought he was needed, for him. For his friend, for his little brother, for his child.

“Where?”

“I don’t think we can go to a city because you’d draw attention quickly.” Yoon shrugged, but he obviously had given it some thought before. “Maybe somewhere in the woods? Well, not the _woods_ -woods. With your luck, you’ll get eaten by a bear right after crashing on a tree. But somewhere around nature and no one else nearby, with clean water and rich earth and fruit trees. And not far from the roads so I can still go to villages to do trades, or you could visit towns sometimes to do whatever priesty things you do in your trips.”

“That actually sounds lovely,” Ik-soo smiled with sweetness. “You win, Yoon-kun. Let’s look for a new home.”

Yoon’s blue eyes opened wide. Then tears poured and fell from his cheeks.

“Thank goodness!” he almost choked. “I was so worried. Now you won’t have to die or suffer anymore!”

Ik-soo gasped. All this time, the little one had been concerned about him at the same time. That selfish, selfless love beat inside both hearts. He reached to hug Yoon, and the boy hugged back.

“You know, I think I know the perfect place, by the borders with the Wind Tribe. The owner already told me it’s okay to stay at his house. It’s really pretty and I think you’ll like it.”

“…I’ve never been to the Wind Tribe so I’m curious. Guess we could go and check it out.”

“I wonder if the Elder left any books in there from back in the day.”

“We must definitely go and check it out!” Yoon said as he shook Ik-soo’s body back and forth. The excited light in his eyes made the priest happy.

Maybe being a little selfish wasn’t so bad. He’d find a way to help from a distant place, surely.

 

* * *

 

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m so grateful for the present, but really…”

“Ow ow!”

“Please don’t dive and trip into other people’s garbage! I’ll go with you next time, to make sure you don’t do anything too stupid.”

 _Yoon-kun’s pout is adorable_ , Ik-soo thought while Yoon disinfected his scraped knees.

“So you like it?”

“I can’t wait to read it,” Yoon smirked. Ik-soo could see a spark in his eyes that was impossible to hide.

Soon the man’s scratches were all treated. The boy’s brow told him that he had been thinking about something.

“Say, Ik-soo. You used to go to the capital often. But you lost everything there and it’s a dangerous place for you, the last priest in hiding. Not to mention the rumors about your beads ages ago. Why? If I were you, I would’ve avoided that stupid city for the rest of my life.”

“I went to visit my master. I don’t know where his grave is, but I feel closer when I pray for his soul in the town where he probably rests. I also pray for my dad, for my mom. I don’t remember them, but I hope they’re happy.”

“Ik-soo… I’m sorry.” Yoon hanged his head in shame.

“It’s okay! There’s also… A long time ago, when I had just been exiled, a kind wanderer took me to a safe place.”

“To Fuuga, right? You told me you grew up there.”

“Yes! I owe my life to two old men, and one of them was this guy.”

“You owe your life to two old men _and a handsome young boy_ , you mean,” Yoon said, raising an eyebrow.

“True enough. That person will never stop wandering, but I kept hoping I might see him again, if I searched around.”

“Sounds awfully familiar. Why are you so certain he’s in the Sky Tribe territory, if you say he’s always on the move? Plus, isn’t he too old to travel?”

“Because of the red star,” Ik-soo grinned. “He’ll chase it.”

“Forget I asked,” Yoon sighed. “You’re talking in prophetic mumbo jumbo again. Anyway, don’t forget to give me your traveling trousers to mend.”

Ik-soo giggled. He had missed Yoon’s frustrated face, his nagging, his concerned appreciation.

Ouryuu hadn’t gone with him, but Ik-soo had gone with the young boy he met. Perhaps the stories were more familiar than Yoon could ever suspect, but they had a completely different ending.

That afternoon, while a cheerful Yoon memorized his new —despite being saved from the fate of a garbage bin— medicine book, Ik-soo prayed that his big brother would find his red star and his dragon family soon. If someone deserved solace and love, that was him.

 

* * *

 

The almost three months felt almost like three years to Ik-soo. He was glad to find himself suddenly cuddled into Yoon’s arms, and not just because his head was bleeding and his stomach was grumbling. The angry screeching was music for the priest’s ears. He could hear the more muffled voices of the rest of Princess Yona’s group, as they cleaned up the house, but the yammer was the center of his attention and affection.

It sadly stopped as an unknown voice —belonging to a tall man with foreign clothes— started teasing Yoon’s reactions, who in turn was flustered and arguing back. It was an opportunity for another stranger —a young man in the whitest robes— to bow at Ik-soo and apologize for barging in. He said it was a pleasure, but it was really Ik-soo’s to get to meet the rest of the Dragon Warriors.

He glanced up, a soft smile drawing on his lips. The princess held a broom and, around her and Yoon, five men. Three of them he had only seen in visions.

“Ah… It’s become so lively.”

Lively for Yoon-kun, his beloved gifted lad with so much intelligence and love to give.

Lively for Yona, who needed them like raindrops to grow and bloom into her fate.

Liveliest for big brother Ouryuu, above all, after millennia of waiting in loneliness.

The Four Dragons had assembled, Yoon was saying, and despite knowing too much about the future struggles that awaited them, Ik-soo couldn’t be gladder for all of them.

 

* * *

 

##  **Epilogue:**

It was hard to find a moment when Ouryuu —or Zeno, as he had called himself— was alone. He finally found him early in the morning by the cliff, glancing at the top of the waterfall. The sky was painted in pinks and purples and oranges.

“I’m so happy,” Ik-soo told him. Zeno turned around, bemused. “You’re not alone anymore.”

Zeno stared at him without saying anything for some seconds. For a moment Ik-soo worried that perhaps he didn’t recognize him. Maybe all mortals were a blur to him, and he had badly assumed that after all those years…

But then, the man laughed, his longer fangs visible. He was cuter than he remembered.

“You haven’t changed at all, lad. You grew up taller than me, but you’re still the same. Hmmm, I can’t call you lad or little brother anymore! Priest mister, then.”

“How you call me doesn’t matter. I’ll always think of us as lost siblings.”

“That’s a huge honor that Zeno doesn’t deserve,” Zeno grinned, with warmth in his eyes.

“Can I ask you for a favor?”

“What is it?”

“Please protect Yoon-kun,” Ik-soo pleaded. “I know you guys have someone else to guard, but…”

“Of course,” Zeno interrupted and put his hand on shaggy light blond hair. He had to raise his arm this time. “I was already going to. I think I speak for all of us when I say we’ll defend him with our lives.”

“Ouryuu…” Tears were already scorching his eyes.

“Besides, that lad’s already protecting everyone! Haven’t you noticed?”

It was true. There was nothing to deny in Ouryuu’s wise words.

Ik-soo wiped his cheeks and moved on to hug Zeno, a hug he had been wanting to give for over two decades now. They stayed embraced until they heard the call for breakfast from the old cabin.

**Author's Note:**

> Zeno’s “misters” in Japanese are “niichan”, literally “big brother”. He calls Ik-soo in chapter 101 “shinkan-niichan”. Of course, it was a hard decision because we associate him mor with the misters in English but the line in the epilogue is a reference to the original language. He upgraded Ik-soo from otouto (“little/younger brother”) to niichan since he outgrew him


End file.
